


Descending From The Stars

by TheLadyStrange



Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Doctor Strange (Comics), Marvel (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Attempted Suicide, M/M, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Post-Endgame
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-09
Updated: 2019-01-09
Packaged: 2019-10-07 11:19:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17364950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLadyStrange/pseuds/TheLadyStrange
Summary: Tumblr Prompt:amethyst-noir said:If you're still taking requests: After A4, when Stephen comes back, he doesn't see Tony anywhere. He's confused because according to everything he saw in the one (tm) timeline Tony should be here. And everybody changes the subject when he asks...





	Descending From The Stars

The first week back Stephen hadn’t really noticed that no one had told him anything concerning Stark. At the time he had assumed that that man was recovering from injuries, he had seen that Tony would take damage but nothing life threatening. By the second week though he found himself alongside the masses as they read the paper and wondered just what had happened to the tech tycoon.

And so it was on the second day that Stephen found himself entering the Avengers Compound for the first time. He was not there long, the moment he had given the secretary his name he had been escorted out by security. It had only been his utter shock that had stopped him from preventing his eviction. A chill wind wound about him as he stood in front of the large building. Stephen returned to the Sanctum and considered his options. He did not have a phone number or email address for Tony. All he had was an address and it would have to do.

He called on the relics and with their help penned a letter, he internally cringed at his horrific penmanship, but hoped it would show his sincerity. The letter went into the mail and Stephen waited. It returned, unopened, return to sender. Stephen found himself feeling very afraid. He had not seen anything to suggest that Tony would die to return half the universe to life, but what if he hadn’t looked long enough. What if he had made a mistake.

The Cloak curled a corner to touch his face and Stephen realized he was crying, unable to stand the thought that he had failed Tony. Drastic measures were needed. Every scrying stone, bowl, and mirror were brought out and one by one they failed to give the smallest glimpse of the missing man of iron. Stephen began to despair. He made another aborted trip to the Compound and then to the famed Tower only to be thrown out. 

At last, with no other options coming to mind, he found himself in the wreckage of Tony’s Malibu home. Stephen’s feet dangled over the tall cliff as he was buffeted by the cold ocean wind that made him wish he had brought the Cloak. 

His soul ached. If he had caused the death of his love he didn’t know what he would do. His tears were icy upon his cheeks as they dried before they could even fall. Stephen wasn’t sure how long he wept there, the sun slowly sinking with his spirits. At last he raised his head from his knees and looked up to the stars. Somewhere in those stars was where he had made his choice and now was doomed to live with it.

With numb fingers he twisted his sling ring and pulled it from his hand to listen to it clatter across what remained of the designer floor and stood up. His toes just curled over the edge as he looked out over the vast ocean of lost opportunities. Stephen spread his arms to feel a final begging tug of the wind and began to fall.

…

…

…

His soul screamed with joy in his ears, the wind rushing by, as he fell. 

His arms hugging himself tightly and comforted that it was almost over.

Steel bands bruised his arms and the back of his head and his stomach swooped in anguish as he stopped falling. His tears however did not stop and he clenched his eyes tight against the pain of the new failure.

The bands tried to set him on his feet but he couldn’t stand and ended up sitting up against a rough wall. His world was black as he refused to open his eyes. The steel bands however did not want to accept that and shifted to grasp his upper arms and shake him. His eyes opened in shock at the action and blurs of gold and crimson were all he could see. Stephen could hardly breathe as he blinked rapidly to bring his vision into focus and see the Iron Man that crouched before him.

“Nooo...I killed you. I failed you. You’re empty. He’s gone. My fault. I killed you. I killed you.” The words trickled off into a hoarse whisper as Stephen curled inward as far as he could in the iron grip of his grief. Iron fingers, as gentle as a breeze, cradled his face and brought his head up.

To see brown eyes full of emotion, regret and pain and sorrow and...love?

“I’m hallucinating. I am dying. I’ll be with you soon. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Tony. I didn’t mean to. You should have lived. You deserved to live.”

“Stephen.” Water spilled from those eyes he had loved for millennia and caressed that beautiful face as had never gotten the chance to. “Stephen. I’m sorry. I didn… I shouldn’t have hid from you. Please, come with me. Let me prove I am real.”

“Tony, Tony, I love you so much, but you aren’t real. You can’t be real. I looked for you and you are gone.” Now those gorgeous eyes were clenched shut and jaw gritted against the pain Tony must have felt as he died. Stephen wanted nothing more than to ease that pain, but he had felt those hands tighten and could see the black of death creeping into his vision. He smiled as he felt the last of him relax into death and the world went away.

…

..

.

Warmth surrounded him.

Stephen could hear music faintly in the distance as he pressed his face into cool cloth.

And jolted up at the unexpected sensation. His hands protested the movement and he looked at them in confusion. Surely death would have released him from the pain. There was a noise behind him and he turned to see Tony standing in an open doorway, his clothes stained with grease and dirt, his hair sticking in all directions and utterly beautiful.

“Hi, Stephen.” Stephen couldn’t speak, mutely he raised a hand in acknowledgement and simply stared. The vision walked close to him and he could smell the sweat and metal of the man before him. “You are awake Stephen. This is all real and I love you. I knew it before I had even made it back from Titan.”

Tony gently held that hand Stephen had pressed against his chest, taking deep breaths so the stunned man could feel the movement of his chest and feel that he was alive.

“I should have spoken to you immediately. But I didn’t. I had decided to take care of Peter first. With May gone he needed someone and...”

“But, your secretaries…”

“Yeah, I’m pretty pissed at Pepper right now. I never would have done that to you. If FRIDAY hadn’t noticed the unusual activity in Malibu, I…”

“Kiss me.”

“What?” Shaking hands curled painfully into Tony’s t-shirt as the man attached to them surged up to be only inches away.

“Kiss me. Please, I…” Tony put an end to those anguished words and stole Stephen’s breath as Tony had never done in any timeline. One in fourteen million and the universe gave Stephen his one chance for a kiss. The first of many to come.


End file.
